Belkin introduces a new dock that brings Thunderbolt 4 support. However, it doesn’t really make the most of what the port would give.
It does offer two HDMI connections, but these can currently only be used on the Mac with the same image (see screenshot) – two different images are only possible on M1Pro and M1Max Macs via HDMI plus Thunderbolt. However, Belkin cannot do anything about this, Apple is responsible for this restriction.
However, it is surprising that Belkin installs two USB 2.0 ports and an Ethernet port with a single gigabit in addition to two USB 3.0 ports. There should currently be at least 2.5 Gbit/s in it. Admittedly, the dock looks quite good, but considering the targeted price of over 400 euros, the technical equipment is simply not good enough.
Our alternative tip would be the CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4: Experience shows that the CalDigit Docks are more stable than others. In addition to a 2.5 Gbit/s network connection, there are also five USB 3.0 ports and significantly more Thunderbolt 4 ports. The device will be on the market shortly.
- [15 PORTS OF CONNECTIVITY]: 2x Thunderbolt 3 40Gb/s, DisplayPort 1.2, 5x USB-A & 1 USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gb/s), 1x USB-C 3.1 Gen2 (10Gb/s data only), Gigabit Ethernet, UHS-II SD Card Slot (SD 4.0), Optical Audio (S/PDIF), 3.5mm Stereo Audio In & Out. Vertical or horizontal orientation. Sturdy full aluminum construction with integrated heat sink without a fan.
- [IMPROVED from 85W to 87W LAPTOP CHARGING]: Provides up to 87W to charge your laptop and power all of your USB peripherals. The secondary Thunderbolt 3 port provides 15W of power for downstream devices. Please note: Firmware update required for 87W
- [DUAL 4K EXTENDED DISPLAYS]: Connect up to two 4K@60Hz (4096 x 2160 30-bit color) monitors via DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C port, OR a Single 5K@60Hz display can be supported via the Thunderbolt 3 port. (***DisplayPort to HDMI/DVI/VGA adapter / cable must be an ACTIVE type. Passive dongle/cable would not work.***)
- [UHS-II SD 4.0 CARD SLOT]: Latest UHS-II SD card slot supports SD/SDHC/SDXC at up to 312 MB/s bus speed. Transfer full days of footage from your camera 3x faster than UHS-I counterpart!
- [MAC & WINDOWS COMPATIBLE]: Ideal for 2016+ MacBook Pro, 2017+ iMac Pro, on Mac OS 10.12 or Windows 8/10 with a Thunderbolt 3 port. (Not compatible with 2015+ MacBook-Retina with USB-C port. Please use CalDigit USB-C Dock with MacBook-Retina)
If you can’t wait, you can also use a CalDigit TS3 Plus: although it is only equipped with Thunderbolt 3, it still has a better selection of interfaces than the latest Belkin model. So check it out or wait for the CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4.
